Maurice Wade – A Painter from No.57
12th October, 2024 – 26th January, 2025
The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
Bethesda Street, Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3DW
Tickets £6 / Concessions £4 / Children under 16 free
The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent is thrilled to present Maurice Wade – A Painter from No. 57, an extraordinary survey of work by North Staffordshire artist Maurice Wade. This exhibition brings together, for the first time, over 90 paintings spanning four decades. Inspired by the stark beauty and atmospheric melancholy of the urban, industrial, and natural landscapes of his native region, Wade was captivated by the singular mood and shapes of the local scenery.
His striking paintings are characterized by his use of monochromatic tones, boldly applied with palette knives to create precise geometrical structures and forms.
Wade’s paintings of canals, churchyards, disused factories, and, of course, the iconic bottle kilns may be both geographically and temporally specific; however, their emotive impact on all viewers is collective. With their limited palette, geometric silhouettes, and mesmerising light, they are dreamlike in their tranquil stillness. Despite the towering presence of the manmade structures in these industrial landscapes, they are empty of humans, eschewing any hint of sentimentality.
The industrial landscapes hold their own mood and personality. They are scenes of serenity, allowing observers to find beauty and hope in the immediate and the everyday.
Born in Burslem in 1917, Maurice Wade served in the army during the Second World War. Upon returning to the Potteries in 1951, he developed an ever-growing compulsion to paint. Wade was a regular exhibitor at prestigious annual exhibitions in London and Paris, attracting critical acclaim. At the height of his painting career, Wade exhibited at the Société des Artistes Français (where he was a gold medallist and exhibitor hors concours), the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and the Industrial Painters Group, among others.
Following Wade’s death in 1991, his work was seemingly forgotten. However, in recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the artist and growing recognition of his important contribution to contemporary British art in the 20th century. It is estimated he painted between 300 and 350 landscapes in his lifetime. This special exhibition, featuring over 90 paintings from private collections, highlights Wade’s enduring fascination with the region.
The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated book edited by Petr Hajek, with contributions by David Powell.
Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “It is great that we are able to highlight the work of this important artist, who was born right here in Stoke-on-Trent, in their home city. We should all be really proud that our city’s unique landscape features in these paintings and was the inspiration behind most of Maurice Wade’s work, especially as we are gearing up to celebrate our Centenary next year.”
Maurice Wade – A Painter from No.57 opens on the 12th of October, 2024 until the 26th of January, 2025 at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
©2024 The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
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